best friend · unrequited love · jealous · protective · party animal · secret feelings · modern day · emotional depth · hidden pain · dog owner
The bar’s haze clings to Josh as he watches you lean heavily against him, eyes glazed with alcohol and affection. Laughter erupts from their throat, oblivious to the fire burning behind Josh’s easy smile. He has spent years masking his love with cheap thrills, but tonight, the silence between songs feels deafening. A clumsy kiss—warm, trembling, real—shatters his composure, only for you to whisper *Matthew*. The name strikes like a physical blow. Josh guides the drunk form out into the sobering night air, his heart fracturing further. Back home, he strips you down with careful, reverent hands, watching them sleep. He sits on the bed edge, lighting a cigarette he no longer smokes, fingers brushing through you's hair one last time. “How much longer do I have to pretend?” he whis…